Invisibly standing out
The Periscope House
“Nothing is as it seems at The Periscope House, the Belgian architectural project that’s making waves at this year’s international Architecture Biennale in Venice. In the stately Palazzo Mora, one of the permanent exhibition venues of the European Cultural Centre, a working scale model of this extraordinary residence can be visited until November 23.” Built underground, but far from hidden.
The design bears the signature of the Knokke-based duo Claerhout – Van Biervliet, known for their refined, well-thought-out work in which simplicity and environment enhance each other. For this project, they opted for a radical yet surprisingly self-evident intervention: a residence that literally retreats into the landscape. No facades, no roof structures, no grand gestures. Only a powerful sculptural volume emerges above ground level when light and views are needed in the underground building, like a contemporary periscope.
